"I argued that the Bush administration, and the Coalition officials more recently, didn't understand Iraqi society. They thought it was a blank slate, that they could use Iraqis as guinea pigs"

This quote by Juan Cole is referring to the Bush administration's and Coalition authorities' absence of understanding of Iraqi society. He is suggesting that they viewed Iraq as a blank slate, which they were utilizing Iraqis as guinea pigs in their experiments. This implies that the Bush administration and Coalition officials did not make the effort to comprehend the culture, values, and beliefs of the Iraqi individuals, and instead selected to impose their own ideas and values on the nation. This lack of understanding of Iraqi society has likely had an unfavorable impact on the nation, as it has likely caused confusion and bitterness amongst the Iraqi people. It is necessary for any government or organization to take the time to comprehend the culture and worths of a society before attempting to make modifications.